More counties are mostly Hispanic

Like the rest of the state, the face of West Texas is changing. Below are the counties where Hispanic residents outnumbered Caucasians last year.

County Population Percentage of Hispanics

Deaf Smith 18,501 63.1

Parmer 9,224 56.6

Bailey 6,279 54.3

Castro 7,129 53.9

Yoakum 7,571 52.8

Moore 20,308 52.7

Hale 36,234 52.7

Crosby 6,192 51.3

Source: U.S. Census Bureau

Nearly every morning Bailey County Commissioner Juan Chavez and as many as a dozen other people get together for breakfast at a restaurant in Muleshoe, the county seat. At midafternoon a smaller group meets at the McDonald's.

"We just talk about our families and our community," Chavez said. "We've been doing it for years."

Chavez and the others who gather are Hispanic, and though most were born and raised in the United States, they usually converse in Spanish. Such a gathering is not unique in Bailey County because 54 percent of the estimated 6,280 residents are Hispanic.

If anything, according to U.S. Census Bureau figures, the county already reflects what Texas is expected to be like in 30 years - majority Hispanic. And that majority is expected to first expand in more rural West Texas counties.

Crosby, Castro, Deaf Smith, Hale, Moore, Parmer and Yoakum counties are also majority Hispanic. Next year's census count is expected to show that Cochran, Floyd, Lamb, Lynn and Terry counties will be next because Hispanics account for nearly 50 percent of their populations, largely due to the fast-growing dairy industry that employs many in the region.

Statewide, Hispanics represent 36 percent of the population.

"It won't happen in the next census, but I think that by 2020 Latinos will be the majority group in most of rural West Texas," said Potter County Justice of the Peace Frances "Nancy" Bosquez. "It is not that far in the future."

But officials say it may be a challenge next year to accrue an accurate tally of Hispanic residents in West Texas and elsewhere.

Many Hispanics, particularly those in the country illegally, are afraid they could be deported to Mexico or another country of origin if they participate in the census count, officials say. Kimberly Murphy, spokeswoman for the Dallas Regional Census Center of the U.S. Census Bureau, acknowledges that others born in the U.S. just don't trust government workers.

So the goal next year is to count every Hispanic in West Texas, and the Census Bureau will be hiring thousands of part-time workers, mostly enumerators, said Josue "Josh" Silva, with the Dallas Regional Census Center. Enumerators are temporary workers who will go door to door next year to collect questionnaires that are not returned to the Census Bureau.

"We're going to get everyone involved we can," said Silva, who's helping coordinate the census in 19 West Texas counties. "We're already going to jamaicas (neighborhood festivals), working with the church, asking the dairies in the area to post bulletins and to spread the word, enlisting the help of senior citizen centers and contacting just about anyone we think of who could help."

The effort is necessary to avoid the pitfalls of previous counts.

"In the last census, over 3.3 million individuals were left uncounted," said Lydia Camarillo, vice president of the Southwest Voter Registration Education Project, a national organization that registers Hispanics to vote. She was speaking before a U.S. House committee two years ago.

"At least 1 million Latinos were not counted in the 2000 count in spite of the numerous partnerships with Latino organizations, the bureau's efforts to count every person, and statistical adjustment of the census count," Camarillo told the congressional panel.

"The undercount resulted in the loss of at least three congressional seats during the redistricting process in states like Texas, California and Florida," Camarillo added. "Moreover, Latinos also came up short during the redistricting process of state and local municipalities, including school districts and other political subdivisions."

Although it remains to be seen how comprehensive the census tally will be next year, for state Rep. Joe Heflin this much is certain: In the coming years, there will be more Hispanic candidates running not just for local office but for legislative and congressional seats.

"Political change is coming," said Heflin, whose House District 85 has the highest percentage of Hispanic voters in the state and who had a Hispanic opponent in last year's election.

"Hispanics will soon be the majority, and that means that we'll see them become more politically active and that includes running for office."